Polish rider Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) showed he will be a force to be reckoned with this season as he powered to the prologue victory in the Dreidaagse Van West-Vlaanderen on Friday.

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The 21-year-old clocked an even 8 minutes for the 7km distance, slicing through the air four seconds quicker than his teammate Julien Vermote to lead an Omega Pharma-Quickstep 1-2 on the day and in the overall standings.

"It's the best day of my life," Kwiatkowski said in a team press release. "I didn't expect to win today. I knew that I had the legs for a good result, maybe top five or top three, but not the victory. I'm over the moon."

After making his debut in the WorldTour with RadioShack last season, Kwiatkowski moved across to the Belgian team for 2012, putting in an impressive ride in Le Samyn earlier this week, where he launched a strong but ultimately unsuccessful breakaway bid in the closing kilometers.

"I'll never forget this moment," Kwiatkowski continued. "It repaid me for all the effort I did in the last weeks. I want to share this victory with all the people who have an important part in my life and of course this extraordinary team, a real band of brothers."

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